With the end of P K Atre's reign it was like Paradise Lost but with rise of another monarch of literature-P L Desphpande- it was paradise regained. Although his sad demise has disheartened many he is still immortal in our hearts, making us laugh as he made all his life.
His journey as a writer began with a portrayal of character sketch name "Anna Vadgaonkar" in a magazine named Abhiruchi in the year 1943 and after this he never looked back. List of the books he wrote goes on an on..everyone is aware of it.. Varayvarchi Varat, Batatyachi Chal, Khogir Bharati, Maitra, Vyakti ani Valli. He has also written travelogues like Purvaranga, Apurvai. He has very good Marathi dramas based on foreign plays for eg: Ti Fularani, Ek Zunja Varyashi .
Most of his writings are part fiction and part reality but when we read his literature we seldom experience the fiction part of his writing. Especially when we read his character sketches vyakti ani valli.. its like a impersonation of people in every Marathi life..!! Once he was questioned about the existence and reality about these character sketches, he answered, "अशा व्यक्ती माझ्या आयुष्यात आल्याही आणि नाहीही" But trust me, while reading his writings we never experience the "नाहीही" part of it. They are so realistic. This feeling is not just limited to just this book but all the books he has written. Antu Barva, Narayan, Annu Gogte, Chitale Master are some of the articles that I have really loved and thoroughly enjoyed while reading.
He was born in 1919 and brought up in a middle class family. After matriculation, he completed his post graduation in arts which was quite creditable in those days. He married to a girl named Sunita and started his career at an age of 24. Comedy was his main genre of his writings but he has done quite a lot of serious writing on social topics like for eg leprosy, untouchability, etc. In the year 2000 he left for his heavenly abode ending his mind boggling period of 57 years of literary career.
Besides a novelist he was an excellent actor. No one can miss his master piece Gulacha Ganpati , famous as sabkuch pu la..!! He had directed, composed music , produced, given background score and also acted in it. He has also acted in epoch making mono act Batatyachi Chal. Also his play Varyavarchi Varat is another master piece.
This is an immortal song composed by legendary P L Deshpande for his movie gulacha ganpati sung by another legend Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. The organ in this song is played by the vocalist Pt. Vasant Rao Deshpande.
While PL used to be lost in hills and vales of literature-it was only literature excellency that he hungered for and not monetary aspects of it. But life does not give you so much liberty..but he was never concerned about it. He always thought out of the box something much ahead of monetary gains and materialism. Its quite true that every successful man has a woman behind him..in it also proved quite true for our legend as Mrs Sunita stepped into the box to take care of both of their monetary needs.
P L Deshpande was an excellent harmonium player. His fingers ran on the buttons of harmonium with inexplicable ease and the notes that came out of it sounded eternal. His pen had also ventured the poetry aspect of literature though not more. He himself accepted that he was not a born poet.
P L Deshpande was indeed a legend and an All Rounder in real sense. His success was well deserved and well earned. A very down to earth person and indeed a jewel in diadem of Marathi literature. I would like to end this blog in his own style.
He was never Annu Gogte in his life..!! And we all wish that he is very happy and content in heaven with celestial nymphs all around him, as described by him in his own words.." मेनका डोक्यावर तेल थापते आहे आणि रम्भा पंख्याने हवा घालते आहे..!!"
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